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the onglyza value card program. >>. >> we sure hope you have a great weekend. thanks again for spending your week with us. i'm kyra phillips. see you back here next week. now we take it to suzanne malveaux. live from studio 7, i'm suzanne malveaux. we want to get you up to speed for friday, february 25th. witnesses are telling cnn there are intense attacks on anti-government protesters in libya's capital today and are saying that artillery rounds and sniper fire was armed at people on streets. we are unable to show you pictureds because the libyan government has barred reporters from the territory it controls. [ chanting ] on the other side of the country where government opponents are in charge, libyans rallied today

to support the people of tripoli. gadhafi's opponents say they are now in charge of the city of zawiyah just a half hour's drive from the capital. amateur video shows celebrations by gunfire today, but protesters, they did pay a price. witnesses say that mercenaries attacked 2000 anti-government demonstrators at a mosque killing at least 17 people. americans evacuated from libya this morning will be arriving in malta in just a few hours. they're aboard a chartered ferry. bad weather kept them in port for several days. cnn talked with an american just out of libya. he had to navigate the chaos at the airport. >> we pretty much had to push and shove our way through, you know, thousands of people, and

myself and two of my colleagues finally made it after about three hours of pushing, shoving and kicking. >> the u.s. embassy in libya says the government will evacuate americans from tripoli by air and they're going to istanbul, turkey. this will be the first american evacuations by air since the unrest began nine days ago. switzerland is freezing moammar gadhafi's bank accounts and other property holdings. britain is reportedly going to do the same. the u.s. treasure department has told american banks to watch for suspicious transactions. gadhafi's son says a financial noose will not force his family out. >> we have plan a, plan b, plan c. plan a is to live and die in libya. plan b is to live and die in libya. plan c is to live and die in libya.

[ chanting ] in iraq today, another round of nationwide protests against government corruption. iraqi authorities say at least five people were killed when they challenged police. iraq's prime minister urged people not to take part today. he said terrorists and former members of saddam hussein's regime planned to stir up trouble. government supporters and opponents held separate and so far peaceful rallies in yemen today. now, yemen's baes in washington says the country's president told police to protect demonstrators and prevent confrontations. over chants of shame, shame, wisconsin's state assembly approved the governor's budget repair bill over night but the senate can't vote because democratic lawmakers fled the state. the bill guts collective

bargaining rights for most state workers. the governor says layoffs are going to start next week if this bill is not approved. a school board in providence, rhode island has fired every single teacher on its payroll, almost 2,000 of them. they say it gives the district greater flexibility. the board says it will recall teachers this summer but only those it can afford. >> i am heart broken. i can't tell you how much this hurts. >> i feel numb. i almost feel like i need to mourn the death of an innocence. it's surreal. there is no justifying this. here's your chance to talk back on one of the big stories of the day. obviously the budget battles in several states put political leaders in a tough place, taking hard lines and putting them in

the spotlight. carol costello is joining us from washington with our talk back question of the day. is it good publicity, bad publicity? >> i don't know. i'll leave it to the viewers to decide. scott walker is now a star. when was the last time you knew the name of a wisconsin governor. she my way or highway politician. he believes collective bargaining hurts wisconsin period. as four tens of thousands of protesters, they're not changes his mind, either. walker is one of many newly elected politicians who are talking tough. newly elected chicago mayor rahm emanuel comes to mind and new jersey's governor. >> here's the truth that nobody's talking about. you have to raise the retirement age for social security. oh, i just said it, and i'm still standing here. i did not vapor oiz. >> and that resonates.

financial columnist liz peek vote, i've fallen in love with chris christie. the question today is -- is such tough talk effective? because like it or not, politics is still about compromise and consensus or is it? does america need a my way or highway kind of political leader? send your comments to facebook.com/carolcnn. i'll read your comments later on in the hour. >> all right. we'll rate to see what they've got to say. governor christie using a bit of humor. i would argue maybe that's what we need. >> i think what people really like about chris christie is he's tough, tough talking. the interesting thing is chris christie has a collective bargaining thing going on in his state as well but he's not completely supporting wisconsin's governor. there's maybe a little softening in new jersey. i don't know. >> a bit of controversy there. carol, thanks. here's what's ahead. harrowing tales from americans

as they try to flee the chaos in libya. a boatload of u.s. evacuees is now on its way to malta. a mob scene at a prince concert? we'll show you what sparked it. more money out of your pocket for fruits and vegetables. we're going to find out why in the price we pay? also, a look at how labor unions help america's middle class. we understand enough is enough for the producer of charlie sheen's tv show "two and a half men." after his latest rant, they have cancelled the rest of the season.

we're following developments inside of libya. our senior international correspondent ben wedeman is joining us live from the libyan city of benghazi. thank you very much. obviously there are pockets of that country we cannot see and get access to because it is so closed off. what are you seeing where you are on the ground where it seems protesters have now taken over the streets? >> reporter: well, what we're seeing is that this is yet another day of these huge demonstrations here in benghazi, and despite the fact that it is very windy, very cold and very rainy, we're seeing more and more people coming into this area. this is essentially the group

that runs the city at this point. it runs everything from garbage collection, and it is the heart of the city. what we're seeing here is that people are not only demonstrating against gadhafi. they're also expressing their solidarity with the people of tripoli, with the people of the libyan capital who are obviously going through a very difficult period. i speak just a little while ago a woman who described a city really in a state of terror. people did try to go out and protest against the government, but she said they came under intense gunfire. >> and, ben, i know it's very windy. i see it's windy and cold there. a little difficult to hear you at times. if you could, the people who gathered there, how long do they plan on staying? are they emboldened now or are

they starting to feel that this thing has just dragged on too long? >> reporter: they are very embowl embowlened, and the feeling you get speaking to people here is that they are going to stay until the end. they are determined to make sure that moammar gadhafi steps down as the leader of libya. people here are even talking about organizing some sort of march on the libyan capital even though it's 1,200 kilometers away, a very long distance but the feeling is this is not a situation that can reach a standstill. one way or the other, they are determined to oust moammar gadhafi. >> ben wedeman, thank you for joining us. obviously, cold and windy out there. we appreciate your reports. i want to go over to where the american evacuees have set

sail from tripoli after some extensive weather delays. right now, the u.s.-chartered catamaran is halfway to the mediterranean island of malta. diane ma magnay is in malta and joins us by phone. diana, we are watching closely when they're going to arrive. what do we expect in the next couple of hours? >> reporter: we're expecting them to arrive at 9:00 p.m. local, which is in about four hours time. we know that there are 300 people on board the u.s.-chartered catamaran that has been sitting in tripoli harbor for the last 36 hours waiting to leave and delayed because of bad weather. of the 300, we're being told that more than half of u.s. citizens, 14 nonessential embassy staff and their family members. we have contact with some people on the ship who said they've been well looked after, they've been fed, and they are obviously

extremely relieved now that the seas have calmed slightly and to be on their way to malta and away from tripoli. >> what is the condition of those on board the catamaran? >> reporter: we are hearing from the few we had contact with that they're pretty good. it has been obviously a very intense situation over the last 36 hours, being docked in tripoli harbor going what was going on in the country, not being able to leave, an unpleasant experience but they did get properly fed. we don't know whether they were able to wash themselves but there was plenty of food and water to go around. they've had an okay time but i can imagine they will be pretty relieved when they set foot on dry land on this side. >> who is actually in malta to greet them? family members? embassy personnel? >> reporter: embassy personnel who are setting up already for their arrival. they're going to have travel desks so the people can arrive

where they'll fly onto next. bisquically, they will go from here to the airport, and embassy staff will make sure they have hotel accommodations for this evening and there will be refreshments. we haven't met many family members here in malta. it will probably be a situation simply of embassy staff helping them make their next arrangements. >> what is the mood there? what is the sense in malta as you wait for this ferry to come somewhere >> reporter: well, malta is expecting a good number of it sea arrivals. we have the u.s.-chartered catamaran and the hms cumberland, a british ship with 200 people, and tomorrow morning a cruise liner carrying some 2,000 chinese workers. all of those people will essentially be ferried to the airport and flown out of here.

it is just a transit harbor, not expecting them to stay long. >> we will keep a watch on the americans arriving in malta. just getting this here, protesters took control of another libyan city. we are learning now, cnn confirming the eastern city of braga, someone who works in communications at the that port. protesters controlling another lip libyan city. paying close attention to that country and seeing what conclusion this comes to. this is a very important story we'll be following. a woman whose mother is on that ferry we talked about headed to malta, she will join us live in 15 minutes. [ woman ] nine iron, it's almost tee-time...

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rising produce prices, you may see it in that salad you fix for dinner, the green beans you gave your kids for lunch. today in the newsroom, we are take act look at the price we pay for produce and other food.

>> reporter: do you expect people will pay more for peaches than last year because of the fuel? >> more than likely everything is going up a little bit. we pay more for all of our inputs, so i would expect that at some point, you know, these additional costs will be passed on. >> reporter: mark sanchez of lane southern orchards, one of the largest peach growers in the u.s. says some of those additional costs will be passed onto consumers. he says the cost of getting his peaches to retailers rises as labor, fertilizer, packaging and fuel prices increase. >> fuel is a huge expense for us, huge. we have to move our equipment from one orchard to the next. we have to move our people from one orchard to the next. we use a lot of fuel. >> reporter: weather also determines the peach supply which can drive the demand and prices up. there are more than 6,000 acres here and the growing season is just beginning. just one deep freeze could destroy the entire crop.

>> some crops, you get a frost, and there's a temporary spike in prices when the supply goes down. another portion of the country comes in and fills that void and then the prices will level off. >> reporter: sanchez says produce is a labor-intensive product that is often hand-pruned and hand-picked, and every step between the farm and the storm impacts the price. >> there's packaging costs, fright costs, merchandising costs, and retailers have to recover for spoilage and there's a lot of things that go into pricing of peaches or pricing of any produce product. it doesn't all come back to the farmer. >> our cnn's katherine callaway is with us now from the state farmers market just outside of atlanta. katherine, i have to go there. give us a sense of whether or not we expect prices to go up, continue to go up for produce? >> reporter: yeah. i believe so.

it's like the stock market, produce, the way it's priced. it changes every day. prices go up, prices go down, but because we're seeing this increase in fuel right now, suzanne, today alone we saw fuel go up nationally about six cents a gallon. that is going to have an e6k on produce across the board and we have got these late freezes that can devastate a crop. let me show you this box of roma toe natos was selling cheaper, and now it is up because the crop in florida was destroyed because of a freeze and after that, the crop in north mexico destroyed because of a freeze, and the price soared to over $35 a box, but it's dropped back down again but with the fuel increase, we can probably see it creep back up. it changes every day. >> catherine, thank you. pick up tomatoes for me, if you

could. >> beautiful out here. i will. if you're a coffee lover like me, you might get steamed over this. your favorite brew will cost you more. that's in our next hour of newsroom. your chance to choose the news. three stories, you vote by text messaging for the story you want to see in detail in the next hour. he's a son of olympic athletes, and the first chinese american player in the nfl. ed wong hopes to spread american-style football in china. a japanese city overrun by wild monkeys comes up with a unique solution that has turned into a popular tourist attraction. getting rid of the beer line at ball games, an upside down way of getting your sud us that's just plain fun to watch. vote by texting 22360, vote one for football dreams for china, two for hot springs for snow

monkeys, or three for bombs-up beer dispenser. the winning story will air in the next hour. well, a woman who lost her home and her job because she has hiv is now fighting back. cnn hero patricia sowell is trying to change the sygma in kenya. >> back in 1990s, i believed that aids was a punishment from god. when i first tested hiv positive, it was oh, my god, how could this happen to me? i fasted and prayed for years hoping that i would be healed. when i went public, i lost my job, my husband lost his job. the landlord wanted us out of his house. the stigma was terrible. i realized that i needed to fight for it. my name is patricia sawo, and my mission is to change people's

attitudes about hiv. >> all you need is accurate information. >> hiv is not a moral issue. it's a virus. i do a lot of consulting. when i'm helping somebody else who is hiv positive, i want them to know that you can rise above this. the 48 children at this center, moat of them saw their parents dying of aids. my hiv program brings them hope. i provide that motherly love and all of their basic needs. hiv, it's making me a better person. we want to be there for people, so if we have it, we share it out. it's what i want to do because it's what i'm meant to do. god has his own ways of healing. so for me, i'm healed. good for her.

every one of this year's cnn heroes are chosen from people that you tell us about. so nominate someone who you know who is making a big difference in your community. go to cnnheroes.com. an american whose mother is being evacuated from libya talks to cnn. the long-delayed voyage of a u.s.-chartered ferry is finally under way.

checking what's ahead on the rundown, labor unions in the spotlight as states try to balance their budgets. we're going to take a look at the impact of unions on the middle class. in our talk back segment, you're going to get a chance to weigh in on the hard line stance some political issue iss. members of congress were the target of psychological tactics carried out by the u.s. military. and, also, the graphic scenes that you're not seeing as libyans rise up against moammar gadhafi. the problems that reporters are having as they try to cover this story. we are also seeing huge problems in the effort to get americans out of libya. a boat chartered to evacuate u.s. citizens finally left tripoli today after extensive weather delays. my next guest's mother is

actually on board the ferry heading to malta. dina joins us by skype. thank you for joining us again today. when you and i spoke yesterday you just heard from your mom. she managed to call you aboard the ferry and told thank you she loved you. . what is her update? have you heard from her since? >> yes. as a matter of fact, i was able to talk to her as the tugboat was pulling up and then pulling the ferry out of the harbor, and so it was pretty exciting and emotional. >> what did she say to you? >> she said that, um, they had been playing different videos throughout the days for the children that were on board, and so as they were pulling out, the "star wars" theme was playing. >> how is she doing? >> well, she's very grateful and happy. and when she talked to you, did

she give you a sense of how difficult things had been for her? >> you know, my mother is a really strong woman, and she's with other, you know, people, and so i think she was being strong and kind of a leader, and so she didn't talk to too much about how she was feeling because i think she was kind of waiting to get to malta. >> what is the first thing you're going to do when you see her? >> i'm sure i'm going to cry. >> it's going to be a wonderful moment. >> it's going to be a wonderful moment, suzanne. i'm so -- february 25th is a big day. >> absolutely. well, we certainly hope to see you and your mom reunite very, very shortly. thank you, dina. >> thank you, suzanne. >> a shouting showdown in the

wee hours of the morning. wisconsin state assembly passed a republican budget-cutting bill. >> all in favor say aye, all opposed say nay. the ayes have it. the bill is in the senate. the assembly is adjourned. >> shame, shame, shame! >> the bill strips most collective bargaining rights from the state's public unions, and the senate still has not voted on it, but democratic senators have fled to illinois to delay that vote. they say that the governor refuses to compromise. without a vote, governor scott walker is threatening layoffs. >> the best way to avoid those layoffs is for people to encourage those 14 state senators, and they don't have to vote for it, but they should do what the assembly democrats have done for the last several days, and that is come back to the capitol and make their case. across the country, the battle to preserve union rights

continues to today. they're gathering all over the place. in trenton, new jersey, for a rally in support of wisconsin workers and they're also fighting their own governor's proposal to limit union rights. in ohio, republican lawmakers say they plan to amend their controversial bill that drastically reduces union rights and workers in miami are also holding a rally this afternoon. we ask the question -- what does the union fight mean for workers not in a union. the unions claim they are fighting for all worker's rights, not just their membership. we have a senior writer joining me to discuss this. tam tammy, we found out that unionized workers make more than those who are not. they make on average $915 a week while nonunion workers maybe $617. the unions are claim, if they

lost all of their power, all workers salary would go down over time whether or not they're in a union or not. is that true? does that really happen? >> what they're arguing is that without the collective bargaining power to have many workers collectively fight for a higher wage, the competition is going to be less for higher wages, so companies are going to be able to pay everybody less if the unions aren't able to negotiate higher wages for their workers. >> looking back 30 years ago, labor unions were much stronger than today when 1 out of 5 were in a union versus is out of 10 today. how is life different for the middle class? >> middle class wages have stagnated over the last 20 or 30 years. if you look at 1988, the average wage was 33,00, and now it's 33,000. it's gone down a bit. you have inflation and other issues, and a lot of economists are arguing that it's because the unions have lost power over

that time, and so, therefore, there are fewer people collectively bargaining for higher wages, and overall the middle class is getting paid less. >> so how does this debate impact most folks oat there when they are part of a union or not part of a union? >> who is the largest employer 30 years ago? it was gm. what type of life did gm worker have? there's a lot of argument as to whether it's sustainable or not. they had high wages, health care, retiree benefits, buy their own homes. who's the largest employer in america? walmart. what type of life dot walmart workers have? >> point well taken. point well made. thank you very much. a lot of folks looking at how this impacts them personally or directly, whether they are part of a union or not. thank you. >> thank you. a reminder about your chance to choose the news. you vote by texting 22360.

vote one for the story about allen wong of the buffalo bills promoting american style football in china. vote two if you want to see the story about hot springs in japan built just for snow monkeys, or vote three for the story about the bottom's up beer dispensers at ball games. the winning story airs next hour. a strip show, well, can get you into a lot of trouble, especially if you're a hockey coach. we have the coach's stripdown. [ female announcer ] it's lobsterfest. the one time of year red lobster creates so many irresistible ways to treat yourself to lobster.

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these are videos that are going to keep you glued to the tube, at least we hope so, in today's guilty pleasure. a hockey coach suspended for stripping off most of his clothes during an angry outburst. he's an assistant with the colorado eagles and during a game got mad at a referee, and off came the jacket, the shirt, and the undershirt. the league says it's not going to put up with the nonsense. in upstate new york, a ski instructor who loves to share her passion for the sport. swoops down the slopes with the best of them and she happens to be 90 years old.

good for her. the academy awards are being handed out sunday in los angeles. a big part of the oscar nights as you know admiring what the stars are going to wear or make fun of it. brooke anderson looking back on the silk and sequins and stuffed goose. >> reporter: the oscar's red carpet is home to the best and sometimes the worst of fashion. >> i think i think i'm a christmas industry tree. >> reporter: helena bonham carter is always pushing the nfl. is she a misfit or inspirinspir. >> everybody looks at her and we wait with bated breath. >> reporter: this stylist says for helena it's all about art. >> for the longest time i thought this girl was whacked

but now that i pay attention to what she chooses, it's about having fun and making a statement. >> reporter: when i spoke to helena at the oscar lunchen, she says she's not really trying to make it statement. >> i always get it wrong, even if it's looking hopeful at the beginning, 'last minute i go off. >> she adds a little of this and that, and when you think about it, she could be considered the lady gaga of actresses. >> reporter: while fashion experts go ga ga for helena, she tells me she's not sure what the fuss is about. do youy yourself eccentric? >> no. i think i'm being myself. most people that know me, i'm actually quite, you know, thunderously normal and straightforward. >> the countdown is on to hollywood's biggest night. join showbiz tonight's a.j.

hammer and brooke anderson for live red carpet access on "road to gold" on sunday at 7:00 p.m. eastern and at 11:00 p.m. get unparalleled access to the oscar moments on our sister network hln. donald trump has the money to make a presidential bid but does the donald have the support he needs for a run in 2012. ed henry has the story in our political tick perp

we're seeing some progress in wisconsin over the debate of collective bargaining, but it's far from over. a lot of people discussing this. our own ed henry, a member of the best political team on tv at the white house now. ed, what can you tell us about this? >> reporter: well, you're right, this battle han been raging and is far from over. the state assembly in the middle of the night passed the bill that would under most collective bargaining rights for workers in the state of wisconsin. it exempts police and firefighters but would make other public workers pay more out of pocket for pension and

health care, and the only collective bargaining rights that would have would be on wages but if they have a pay inkress morning the rate of inflation, that would have to go to the voters for approval, so this changes their rights in a big, big way. the fight far from over. you still have 14 state senators who have gone off to illinois to prevent a quorum. this will rage on. second item about donald trump. you mentioned he is flirting with the potential idea to run for president and now one of this advisers, roger stone, a pig republican operative says he might spend his own money, up to $200 million on a presidential run, stone telling politico he thinks it would free trump up to say he's fighting for the people, not raising money from anyone, not beholden to anyone else, and basically roger stone says he's sitting on $2 billion in cash, $200 million is not

much for trump but there is question about how much wealth donald trump has, how much is on paper and how much is for real. the speculation continues. >> obviously, it takes a lot of money to run a campaign. 2012 around the corner. are we hearing anything out of obama's team on the re-election campaign, when had rolls out? >> reporter: it will roll out soon. tim kaine had an interview, and axelrod getting ready to join the campaign effort. in early spring they will start to build a network and within weeks will be filing the necessary paper work to start raising money for a re-election bid. axelrod, we all know that the president raised $700 million last time around. there's now estimates that it might be $1 billion this time for the re-election aefrt. raise a billion dollars, spend a

billion. even if donald trump puts in $200 million, it might be a drop in the bucket. >> an expensive adventure. for the latest political news, you know where to go, cnnpolitics.com. and, of course, don't forget to the choose the news. vote by texting 22360 for the story you want to see in detail. how the first chinese american player in the nfl wants to spread the game in china. how a japanese gets around being overrun by whild monkeys or finding a novel way of getting rid of beer lines at ball games. vote one, football dreams for china, two, for hot springs for snow monkeys or three for bottoms up beer dispenser. the winning story is going to air in the next hour. rolling stone magazine says that the military is playing mind games with u.s. senators, trying to influence their behavior. chris lawrence has the reaction from the pentagon.

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price you can afford. call this number or go to selectquote dot com. selectquote. we shop. you save. what was i thinking? but i was still skating on thin ice with my cholesterol. anyone with high cholesterol may be at increased risk of heart attack. diet and exercise weren't enough for me. i stopped kidding myself. i've been eating healthier, exercising more and now i'm also taking lipitor. if you've been kidding yourself about high cholesterol, stop. lipitor is a cholesterol-lowering medication, fda approved to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in patients who have heart disease or risk factors for heart disease. lipitor is backed by over 18 years of research. [ female announcer ] lipitor is not for everyone, including people with liver problems and women who are nursing, pregnant, or may become pregnant. you need simple blood tests to check for liver problems. tell your doctor if you are taking other medications

or if you have any muscle pain or weakness. this may be a sign of a rare but serious side effect. let's go! [ laughs ] if you have high cholesterol you may be at increased risk of heart attack and stroke. don't kid yourself. talk to your doctor about your risk and about lipitor. but finding healthy food that tastes good is torturous. your father is suffering. ♪ [ male announcer ] honey nut cheerios cereal tastes great and can help lower cholesterol. bee happy. bee healthy. i'm in pain... a child with a severe stutter grows up to become one of the foremost experts on jaguars in the world. dr. sanjay gupta learns how

simply talking to these wildcats helped save a doctor and how he's returning the favor. >> you're looking at the jaguar. two people are as familiar with the animal's fate than this man. allen rabinowitz. >> they range from 18 countries, but are killed on site. >> his mission, to save the jaguar and its peers. >> we felt strongly there had to be something focusing only on the world's great cats 24/7. growing up, i had a very, very severe stutter. and i couldn't speak. it was so severe that i would get these very intense blocks. my mouth would freeze up, go

into something called frozen mouth. >> that is, until he started talking to animals. >> i could not talk to the adult world because there was too much expectation, but when i turned to the animals, i could speak. >> experts say between 70 and 80% of children who stutter will recover spontaneously. for the minority who don't, becoming what's called a fluent speaker takes various therapies. >> you have to focus on not stuttering. are you constantly thinking about it? >> yes. >> want to interrupt quickly, we believe we are seeing live pictures, but this is from state tv out of libya there where we are seeing pictures of the leader of libya, moammar gadhafi, in green square, addressing the crowds there. state tv broadcasting what they would like to world to see in

out of tripoli, libya, where people have shown up to support him, or we think those are his supporters in tripoli, libya. we know there are many other parts of the country where they are protests and where state tv is not allowing the people to see the kind of opponents against them. that looks like moammar gadhafi right there wearing some sort of winter hat, addressing the crowd, raising his arm. let's just take a listen. >> without this flag has no meaning, life of glory, life of victory and the flag raised high.

the youth take your liberty everywhere in the streets, dance, sing, live in dignity, with dignity. live with high morals. moammar gadhafi is one of you. dance, dance and sing and be happy. >> moammar gadhafi blowing kisses to the crowds there. there are cameras on him now. we believe that this is live television there from state tv. we believe that he's addressing supporters, the libyan leader telling them to dance in the streets and to take liberty, to be free, to live in dignity and high morals. this is a leader who's brutally

oppressed the opposition and says it will be his own blood that he will not step down as the leader of that country. what we believe has just happened is that he has spoken to those who have come out in support of him, but clearly, this is going to be a message that resognates across the country. we're going to keep a close eye on these pictures we are just getting in from libyan television and we should let you know that libyan television, they are airing what they would like to world to see coming out of libya. it is our own producers and reporters on the ground who have been showing the immense and massive protests against gadhafi's regime. i want to take a listen. we're getting information now

that moammar gadhafi telling this crowd we've just seen addressed before, that he will fight to the death. his words that he will fight to the death and we are also getting information from state television that those were live pictures that we had seen before when he was addressing the crowd. you can see there what likes like a replay of what we have just seen, pumping his fist, his arm into the air and addressing those who have gathered outside there in tripoli. a very defiant leader, saying he's going to fight to the death and this comes at a critical, a crucial moment of libya's history as we see massive protests around the country and protesters have taken over cities, calling for him to step down. we're going to be following all of these developments right after this quick break. host: does it take two to tango? ♪

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-- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com libya's state television saying these were live when i can pictures we saw of moammar gadhafi addressing what we believe to be supporters. a very defiant moammar gadhafi saying that he will fight to the death. this comes amid calls for him to step down and massive protests that are taking place throughout the country of libya as opponents, his opponents, take

over cities, demanding for his ouster, but we saw moments ago, cannot independently confirm, but libyan television saying those were live pictures of the libyan leader saying that he is current currently here to stay and it comes amid reports of our own reporters on the ground reporting a brutal crackdown, killings of some of these demonstrators. we believe these are supporters he has just addressed. and witnesses say that libyan forces with shooting at anything that moves today in the capital. one tripoli resident described the fear and apprehension to anderson cooper. >> i hear fear in your voice and sadness. >> very much, very much stress. very much suppress and hopelessness. i wish i can go outside and

protest. they arrest you, they beat you, but the problem, they shoot you. this is no protest. cannot protest. i wish we can protest. we cannot protest. we have to find another way to take this. >> libyan protesters make another land grab. witnesses say think took control of the libyan port city raga today as well as its oil terminal. it's in western libya, near the border with tunisia. the united states government is evacuating americans from libya today, by ship, by plane. a ferry is going to arrive in malta in just a couple of hours. the u.s. em bah say in libya says a plane the taking americans to turkey today as well. a man who got out on his own

describes the chaos at the airport. >> we pretty much had to push and shove our way through thousands of people and myself and two of my colleagues finally made it after two hours. >> another round of nationwide protests against government corruption. iraqi authorities say at least five were killed when they challenged police. the prime minister urged people to stay home. they said former members of saddam hussein's regime plans stir up trouble. a 20-year-old college student appeared in court today. the judge ordered him held until a hearing in march. he is charged with attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction. authorities say he planned to

attack several targets, including the dallas home of former president bush. the school board in providence, rhode island has fired every single teacher on its payroll. almost 2,000 of them. the city says it gives the school district greater flexibility for next term. the board says it will recall teachers this summer. out of wisconsin, governor scott walker is going to be holding a press conference. we are going to monitor his remark to see if he mentions anything about the budget battle taking place in his state and the standoff that is taking place with those lawmakers, democrats refusing to come back to the state to vote in favor of this budget bill. the republicans who have stayed in the state pushing it forward and a lot of teachers and union

workers and some of the kids stuck in the middle of this. >> all in favor, say aye, the votes have it, the bill is in the senate, the assembly is adjourned. >> what you're hearing are chants of shame, shame, shame. wisconsin state assembly approved the governor's repair bill overnight, but the senate can't vote on it because democratic lawmakers fled the state. the bill guts collective bargaining rights for most state workers. the governor says these layoffs are going to start next week if this bill is not approved. and a bill legalizing same-sex marriages moves to the maryland house today. the state senate approved the bill without a vote to spare. if the house goes along, same-sex couples would have the same rights to marry as straight

couples. and another scathing report on the u.s. military. this is courtesy of "rolling stone" magazine. it reports that the army ordered soldiers trained in psychological operations to manipulate visiting senators. chris, how are they responding to this today? >> the top brass of the pentagon, general david petraeus in afghanistan, has launched an investigation that it backed up by the secretary of defense himself to try to get to the bottom of this. these, some of these officers in afghanistan were part of this sigh ops team are allegeding that they were given an illegal order to use some sort of psychological operations techniques to influence some of the senators and sort of bend them to a particular position. one of those officers says the talk of day one, none of these

are supposed to be used on any americans, let alone senators. another one of the officers, the primary one who's made these accusations described to us what he says he was ordered to do. >> with the senators and the congressman, it was simply how had these people voted in the past? what were their positions coming in? and what could the generals actually say to them that would get them to do what we wanted them to do? provide more money, more troops. >> again, none of those techniques are supposed to be used on senators. >> so who was allegedly targeted here? why them specifically? who are we talking about? sfwl we're talking about some of the leaders of very unflun shl committees like the armed services committee, appripriations. the guys who pull a lot of the budget strings. mccain, reid. it raises questions about the

allegations because some of these men are on board with the war. some of these men, senator levin put out a statement saying look, nobody had to convince me to send more money for training. i've been trying to convince other people to try to beef up this program. senator jack reid told us yesterday, look, when we go on these trips, we always expect a little bit of spin from the military. that's just the way things go. >> how's the military, how are they responding to the accusations? >> well, the man who is primarily accused of this, lieutenant william caldwell, has denied it and a u.s. official told us that he will not step down. that he does not believe these allegations are true. and in fact, that's one of the reasons general petraeus has launched this investigation. we've also talked with some military officials as well, trying to -- the background, to see whether the primary officer

lieutenant colonel holmes, was actually trained in some of these hard core, psychological warfare techniques. so far, we haven't been able to find that he actually attended a specific school and got that specific training that some of these psychological warfare officers would use. a lot of dig through. >> a lot of unanswered questions. thank you. here's your chance to talk back on one of the big stories of the day. state budget battles. they're picketing protesters, hard line governors. it all adds up to a big question about america's leaders. carol is joining us from d.c. with your talkback. >> it's been an interesting conversation. wisconsin's walker is now a star. when was the last time you knew the game of a wisconsin governor? he is the ultimate my way or the

highway type of politics. it doesn't matter, state workers are willing to pay more in benefits. he believes collective bargaining hurts wisconsin period. as for tens of thousands of protesters, they're not changing his mind either. walker is just one of many newly elected politicians who talk tough. newly elected chicago mayor rahm emanuel comes to mind and so does new jersey's governor. >> here's the truth nobody's talking about. you're going to have to raise the retirement age for social security. i just said it and i'm still standing here. i did not vaporize. >> and that kind of thing really resognates. a financial columnist wrote, i think i've fallen in love with chris christie. is such talk effective? so the talk back question today, does america need a my way or the highway kind of political leader? send your comments to my

facebook page. and i'll read some of your comments later on in the hour. >> thank you. here's what's ahead. sailing to safety. u.s. evacuees leaving libya are on a boat to malta. they're expected to arrive soon. plus, a prince fan pays $750 for a front row concert seat, right, only to get attacked by fellow fans. why he says a guitar sparked the fight. and are you digging a little bit deeper into your wallet for your cup of coffee? find out why in the price we pay. also, new information on a shocking suicide by an nfl player who left a note telling doctors to analyze his brain. dr. gupta spoke with the lab that will do that study. and don't forget, the story that you want to see in our choose the news segment. so smooth and creamy,

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these pictures just in. moments ago, we saw them. this is from libyan state television. moammar gadhafi there addressing the crowds that have gathered in green square. a very defiant libyan leader telling the people in his country that he wants them to live with dignity and high morals, but he will fight to the death, that he will stay in power and this comes amid a b w

brutal crackdown from protesters inside of that country as various cities have been taken over by opponents in this picture provided by libyan television, we believe there are supporters of moammar gadhafi, but making it very clear to the people in his country he has no intention of stepping down after 42 years in power. that he will fight to the death before he gives up that power. there is progress now in the effort to get americans out of libya. the u.s. scheduled its first chartered flight out of tripoli today and the destination is turkey. evacuees aboard the first u.s. chartered boat, they are set to dock in malta about two hours from now after extensive delays due to some bad weather. diana magna is in malta. she joins is us live. when do we think they're going to arrive? >> reporter: they're expected to

dock around three hours time, which means they're more than halfway between here and tripoli. this was that ship that's been sitting in tripoli harbor for 36 hours now with none of the passengers able to leave. there were about 285 passengers on board all that time and they added a few more, about 300, before setting sail about five hours ago now, so they're going to be coming here, landing here in three hours. when they do, the u.s. embassy has made all sorts of arrangements, finding somewhere to stay for the night and b x making their further travel plans. they won't have to make their way on to malta themselves. we have spoken to various people on board when they are still in tripoli. they say the move is calm. they have been fed. they have water and really, that

they're incredibly gad to be making their way out of the storm. one of the women who lived in libya said it was the worst storm that she'd ever seen in her time in libya, so that's why there's been such a hold up. >> what kind of preparations are they making for them on your end? >> reporter: well, there will be this travel desk. we haven't met any relatives. the u.s. embassy staff meeting and trying to assist with their travel arrangements. bear in mind, there aren't that many americans on board this ship. 300 in total. probably and 200. more than half are u.s. citizens. 40 of those are non-embassy family members, staff, who have to stay back in libya. there are still a large quantity of u.s. scitizensicitizense who out. some may belong to oil companies

or other companies working in libya. but compared to the efforts of other countries, the u.s. has had considerable delays. >> diana, we'll be watching closely as that ferry get closer. thank you so much. a public union workers in wisconsin, they lose a round in the fight to save their collective bargaining rights. you're hearing cries of shame, shame, shame. overnight, wisconsin's state assembly passed a republican budget cuts bill. now, it stripped most collective bargaining rights from the state's public union. the state still has to vote on it, but the democratic senators have fled to illinois to delay a vote. they say the governor refuses to compromise. governor scott walker, he is threatening to layoff thousands of public workers if this bill

does not pass the senate. our cnn ted rollins is in madison with the latest on this showdown. >> reporter: showdown indeed and it continues as the pressure starts to build as well. both sides trying to use what they can to increase the pressure on the other. right now, scott walker is going around the state and he's targeting the districts of those 14 senators that are in illinois. at this hour, he's in kenosha, and he is repeating the name of the state senator over and over there, then he's expected to move around the state and do the same thing. trying to get constituents to put pressure on those 14. meanwhile, the 14 democrats continue to put pressure on the governor by staying out of state. they say they'll do that as long as it takes. they say they want a compromise, but there doesn't seem to be one in the short-term horizon. >> we'll be watching closely. thank you. cnn is dedicating your bottom line tomorrow to a

special called "educating america." from the union rallies to the exploding class sizes, christine romans and her guests have got you covered. it's time to go cross-country for stories that cnn affiliates are covering. rain, lots of it in oklahoma city. severe thunderstorms threatened almost two dozen counties on thursday. swamping cars and stranding neighborhoods. thousands of blackouts were reported in the metro area. in la crosse, wisconsin, these two huge boulders hit a home so hard no one can live in it anymore. it had to be condemned. weather is being blamed. and now to a prince concert in oakland, c california and part of the show where he throws his custom guitar into the audience. the man who caught it says the

crowd mobbed him and when security pulled him out, a stage hand demanded he give the guitar back. and coffee lovers like myself, get ready. you're going to be paying more. i'm sorry. [ male announcer ] at e-trade, investing means taking action with professional-grade research. and some of the most powerful, yet easy to use trading tools on the planet. it's investing with intelligence and cold hard conviction. e-trade. investing unleashed.

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sometimes, people go searching for their past, but

for sicily shofman and her past came looking for her when remnants of slave cabins were discovered at a notorious plantation in maryland. essence magazine tried to find a descende descendent. they found 27-year-old sicily of atlanta. now, thes the great, great, great, great granddaughter of john murdoch. she and her mother took a trip to the plantation and are joining us for this black history month edition of "what matters." thank you so much for joining us. this is an incredible, powerful story. sicily, i want to start with you. your father passed away when you were 13. you lost him at a young age and yet, you linked with him. you found connections to the father you lost. >> i tell you, it's an

experience that is very important to me when it comes to my father. he was always in the forefront, in the media, even though i didn't know him very well growing up. we were kind of es traitrangesti was always hearing about him, seeing him on tv. it's hard for me not to think he didn't have something to do with this. working from above, he definitely, he definitely had his hands in this. the experience made me start going through articles he had read that my mother saved for years and years that i never really paid attention to. very comforting. >> this was one of the most notorious plantations where slaves were brutalized.

the state took out complaints against the masters. tell me, what was that like to walk on that ground where that had happened and you knew? >> it was really an inspirati inspirational time for me because despite all of that, the brutality that took place on that plantation, i felt grateful to our ancestors for surviving it and triumphing despite it. it was just inspiring to me that we have to as a people, get to the place where we look at that kind of tragedy and tern it and recognize there's a silver lining to everything. the work that i do is with radical forgiveness. i believe our people are angry at a generational level. our kids are doing drugs and drive- drive-bys and we adults are

dying of heart disease. it's killing our generation. and so, again, i was grateful. there are beautiful things that came out of that. we found her ancestors bought their children out of slavery. that's something to be proud about. we don't have to look at the tranl dis and always face that point to that, we can point to the beauty that came out of it. these families, these generations, are still gathering. we went to a funeral last week of sicily's 91-year-old matriarch of her family. it was a fabulous opportunity for us to gather together and love each other and recognize we as a people have survived horrible injustices. >> thank you so much for joining us. an amazing story and journey. thank you. >> thank you. check out essence.com to read more about sicily's story and her experience at the plantation. reports of mercenaries

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new video rather from libya shows a very defiant moammar gadhafi addressing a huge crowd of what we believe are supporters in tripoli's green square. the libyan tv broadcast showed gadhafi fist pumping and blowing kisses to the crowd. he called on young people to be happy and live with dignity and high morals and he again announced he would fight to the death rather than give up his power. it was said to be a live address. we have no way of confirming that. the loyal forces used gunfire today on protesters who streamed out of mosques after friday prayers. for almost two weeks, we've been bringing you the latest reports on libya's revolution. but it's filtered. incomplete. why? because the picture is

purposefully obscured by libya. michael holmes is here to discuss that blackout. you and i watched this latest address from gadhafi. does it show a sense of desperation that he is losing his grip over power and the messages and images he's projecting. >> absolutely. more and more becomes delusional. when you look at libya, egypt, bahrain even, what we've seen is the ultimate failure of state media. people aren't buying into it. particularly when you look at a guy like gadhafi, the obvious disconnect between him and the people that we're seeing between him and these speeches. the state media is one of the last ways of control he's clinging to. just a short time ago telling people he's ready to triumph over the enemy when the reality on the ground is so obvious.

it is the fourth time we have heard from him. has also addressed the press twice. and we're hearing reports now, the mercenaries patrolling the streets of tripoli, firing on civilians. mercenaries are also elements of an elite brigade run by one of gadhafi's sons. hiding bodies. going into hospitals and removing the woupded to try to cover up what's been going on. despite those reports, what we've been hearing from the gadhafis. i want you to listen to something here. >> the party in the streets, all the people were out. now, we see -- out in the streets, holding banners, holding pictures of leader

gadhafi. we tell you this is a media -- >> it is almost naivety in watching this, too. the people aren't buying it. they're no stupid. they can see what's happening around them. the statement being aired on state sponsored broadcast. propaganda, these images as you see. >> what do you make of this? it's a total perversion of the truth. are these guys decollusional? >> i think we're desperate to hang on to what they can. it really is closing in. like somebody put like playing a violin on the titanic as the ship goes down. they're not really fooling anyone. because of how stringent the crackdown on outside media, what we are seeing are these sorts of

things. we are able to bring you often coming from the streets themselves. the libyans. they're shot on cell phone cameras. put out at great risk to the world. citizen journalism, if you like. ben and his group have done a great job, but they can't be everywhere and they're doing this at very gret risk. >> we've been told ben is joining us by phone. ben, can you give us a sense of what you're seeing and who is with you? >> celebrating on the one hand, but continuing to protest the rule of moammar gadhafi. thousands and thousands of people braved some pretty nasty weather. it's cold and windy and rainy here, but they came out to express their support for the people of tripoli, who are many of whom are trying to overthrow

moammar gadhafi. in fact, gadhafi appeared on state television just a short while ago in green square, the remaining square in tripoli, in which he called upon libyans to defend the country's dignity, it's oil resources, but more disturbingly, he said he was ready to open state arsenals and distribute weapons to those loyal to him to the tribes loyal to him and to unleash them on the parts of this country that are in a state -- >> and ben, i don't know if you're able to answer this question, but the protesters, the demonstrators, were they able to see and hear state television and that statement from gadhafi saying he was going to fight to the death? >> no, here, now that they're no longer under his rule, now that

they are essentially free, very few libyans in this part of the country spend any time watching state television. they hear about it afterwards. sometimes, they tune into the radio to listen to his speeches. for the most part, they're met with der rix and laughter. they hear the threats and they are disturbing to people. they obviously indicate this is a man who's not going to go down easily. he will use everything at his disposal to save his sinking regime. >> ben, it's michael here. we are having a discussion about state media, its control and the like. one of the things we've been hearing, where you are now, there is already a growth in independent radio stations springing up. even a newspaper coming out now. what do you know about that and

how that's turning the media game around? >> yes, what happened here within literally a day or two uprising in the eastern part of the county, a bunch of young people got together using their knowledge of the internet and other technology and created an fm radio station called the voice of free libya. and it's been broadcasting around the clock, spreading news of the revolution, the revolt in this part of the country. they've been very active in spreading the word, spreading any sort of updates that people are so desperate for. and also, in fact, they've come out with a -- another group has come out with a newspaper. i have it in my back pocket. i wish we were live. i could show it to you. it's just a big piece of paper, but very well put together. there's computer graphics and the name of this -- unfold it now out of my pocket here, it's

called libya free libya and it comes out every day. and yes, you do have all these people who have finally had the opportunity to express themselves and they're expressing themselves i must say, fairly eloquently certainly compared to the state media, which has all this sort of shortcomings, any totalitarian regime. >> thanks, ben. >> we appreciate your time, michael as well. we're following another breaking news story. this, a group of democratic governors coming out of the white house, to talk about budgets and some things they are facing. martin o'malley. >> the nation's infrastructure, which also creates jobs. we talked a lot about the importance of the reliable power grid, but also the importance of bringing people together so that we have the transportation

reauthorization bill so we can do the rebuilding this nation needs in order to create jobs. i'd like to turn it over to the vice chair of our democratic governor's association, governor purdue from north carolina. >> thank you. i'm beth purdue. the governor of north carolina. since this morning when fellow governors and the president and vice president -- it starts with jobs. we've got to have jobs -- we talked about infrastructure. we talked about rules and regulations. and then we focused on what the great job is, we know that's education -- the investments in education from preschool -- >> we'll continue to monitor the statements that have been meeting with the president and

talking about their own ways and strategies they're going to be dealing with. more news after this quick break. [ male announcer ] this is charlie whose morning flight to london starts with arthritis pain... and a choice. take tylenol now, and maybe up to 8 in a day. or...choose aleve and 2 pills for a day free of pain. enjoy the flight. and go everywhere. to help revitalize a neighborhood in massachusetts, restore a historic landmark in harlem, fund a local business in chicago, expand green energy initiatives in seattle. because when you're giving, lending and investing in more communities across the country, more opportunities happen.

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it's not just the higher gas prices eating into your budget these days. prices for food, other commodities are inclining as well, including your favorite brand of coffee. here's our cnn's stephanie elam. >> reporter: this might give you a jolt, coffee lovers. the cost of that cup of joe is about to go up more. >> prices have been rising steadily over the last four or five years, but these prices have accelerated since may of last year. >> reporter: and roasters are passing some of the co.s on to you. last fall, starbucks said it was raising the cost of large drinks to off set the price of coffugh beans. the cost in retail outlets rose by 10% this month. with prices hitting a 14-year high and rise iing more than 10 in the last 12 months,, more hikes could be on the horizon. >> coffee prices are high

primarily because we have had three disappointing harvests in colombia in a row. >> reporter: while prices are high, this isn't the worst we've seen. >> if we talk about adjusting for inflation, then prices are not as high as we have seen in the past. but in nominal terms, we are to the highest levels since 1977. >> reporter: it's hard to pinpoint when prices will go up at the store, but consumers should get ready. >> they may think it's bad now, will be nothing compared to what they'll have in the next six to eight months. >> reporter: will the price hike stop folks? >> if it gets that high, i'm not going to get coffee every day. >> i'm going to stomp my feet and stop buying. >> not at all. coffee's important. >> i don't think i can give up my coffee.

you are sounding off on our talk back question today. does america need more my way or the highway political leaders? riley says we need another headline grabbing candidate about as much we need a palin or bachmann. open your eyes, america, it's time to stop confusing tough talk with clear thinking. more of your comments ahead. time for the help desk. with me this hour, ryan mack, the president of opt capital management. thank you for being here. our first question is from vick in new jersey. he writes, i'm 19 years old, looking to invest for the first time. possibly mutual funds. what advice do you have? >> a lot of times, hopefully, he's in college right now. it's always hard to get investors that young because

their income is so uncertain when they graduate. get some books, go on morningstar.com, bloomberg.com. ask why am i investing? for a new car, retirement? what's my time frame? what sort of capital do i need to achievely goals. then if you are one of those individuals who have money to invest in the market as 19 as opposed to cheese and tuna fish like i was eating, look at exchange trade funds, that give you great di jerasty kags and put money in cash as well. >> know your purpose and people eat something better than that. carla in wisconsin writes, my 17-year-old son filed taxes this year. does that prevent me from claiming him? >> no, the irs doesn't want you both claiming dependent.

what you need to do is do your taxes both ways. see if you claim him versus if he claims him, how it works better for the family, but it's okay to claim him if he files a tax return. >> that's good to know. all right. thanks so much, gentlemen. if you have a question you want answered, we'd love to help you. send us an e-mail to cnn help desk.

talk back on one of the big stories of the day. top political leadership styles with being put to the test in states caught up in these big budget battles. hey, carol. >> even though wisconsin public employees are willing to take cuts and benefits, the governor is not changing his mind and his hard as nails approach is resognating. does america need a my way or

the highway political leader? from kim. i hear that mubarak and gadhafi are looking for jobs. maybe our voters would like to elect them. i think in a sense, yes, i'm tired of politicians whose voices change with the day. and from carla. didn't we leave the king behind 230 years ago or so. come on. continue the conversation at facebook.com and thanks for your comments. >> thanks. our producers have been tallying last minute results. we're going to have your choose the news winner up next. oh, bayer aspirin? i'm not having a heart attack. it's my back. it works great for pain. [ male announcer ] nothing's proven to relieve pain better than extra strength bayer aspirin. it rushes relief to the site of pain. feel better? yeah. thanks for the tip.

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get help paying for what medicare doesn't... and save up to thousands of dollars. call this toll-free number now. you voted for it. we're going to air it. choose the news winner right now. >> the best place to see josh springer's invention is at a ball game, but away from the action. how simple is the technology? >> very simple. very simple. >> to fully appreciate it, you need two traits. one, you hate standing in line, two, you have an affinity for beer. >> bud regular. >> i'm the kind of guy that won't wait in every line. >> so, just to prove to himself it could be done -- >> they looked at me like i was crazy. >> he set out to end the beer line for ever. the speed is something to

behold. springer says he holds an unofficial world record for pouring 56 beers in one minute. his videos on youtube have gone viral. why do you think people get so excited? >> that's a great question. i kind of giggle when i see it happen too. >> so, how do you fill a beer up from the bottom? there's a hole in the bottom of the cup, but the key to making all this work is with this. a simple magnet. >> the magnet is suspended. >> the liquid comes in from around the holes. >> once the beer is filled, grab the cup and it forms a perfect seal. what do people do with the magnets when they're done? >> put them on their fridge. >> which leads to his second great idea. get advse